Key Wisconsin Badgers: No. 2 - Tight end Jake Ferguson

Wisconsin's 2021 football season is right around the corner, so BadgerBlitz.com ranked the top 30 players who we think will be the keys to success for Paul Chryst's squad this year.

Playing time, past performance and positional depth all factored into our staff rankings.

Tight end Jake Ferguson developed into Wisconsin's most reliable target over the past few seasons. A security blanket for Jack Coan and now Graham Mertz, the 6-foot-5, 242-pound tight end, who doubles as a reliable in-line blocker, has accumulated 99 catches for 1,168 yards and 10 touchdowns across his career.

Despite having an opportunity to test the NFL waters, Ferguson, who has 34 appearances with 23 starts at tight end, opted to return for a fifth season in Madison. This past fall, he led the Badgers in receptions (30), targets (44), yards (305) and touchdowns (4).

"This is the first time, just on a day-to-day basis, that I've seen him have the consistency in attitude that he's had," tight ends coach Mickey Turner told reporters during spring practices. "He's making plays in practice, he's doing a lot of things, he's being a leader. But every other time I've been with him, there'd be a day or a period where there was a little bit of a let off and he had to regroup and I had to let him know, 'hey, man, you've got to be the guy for us.' He has been an absolute pro for us from day one this spring."

Due in part to inexperience and youth behind Ferguson, Turner is still searching for a backup tight end who can provide something as a pass catcher. Hayden Rucci, who has been used primarily as a blocker, was the only other tight end to see more than 100 snaps in 2020; Ferguson took 444. The biggest hurdle for the talented senior this season will be to work on his conditioning and make sure he stays on the field.

"As we finish spring in the next month and then get ready for the season, I think his biggest thing in the summer will be getting his body as absolutely strong and flexible and durable as possible so he can be 100 percent or close to it going into the games," Turner added, "because if he's feeling well I know with the attitude he has right now, he's a matchup nightmare and he's as good as anybody. But if his body gets beat down a little bit or if he has to take rep after rep and he's not taking care of himself, then a 50 percent Jake is just another body out there, but a guy that's feeling good is pretty dangerous."

With Danny Davis and Kendric Pryor still finding their way as top receivers, Ferguson will likely be the top target once again for Mertz. Any injury or absence would leave the offense without its most reliable receiver to move the chains. Ferguson's role in the tight end room will be key for the development of Rucci, Jack Eschenbach, Jaylan Franklin, Cole Dakovich and Cam Large, among others.

Like the majority of his fellow seniors, Ferguson didn’t want to end his career in Madison with the way 2020 went for the Badgers. His return will be key for a team - more specifically an offense - that would like to bounce back from a disappointing season.

“I knew I was staying - probably middle of the year. Just didn’t feel like it was my last year yet with 2020 being what it was. Didn’t feel like I was done yet," Ferguson said. “After the Mayo Bowl, guys were saying bye to some of the seniors and they would come up to me like ‘hey, are you leaving?’ And no, there’s no way, I’m not ending it like this. It was a pretty easy decision for me but most of it was when I was going to tweet it and let everyone else know.”